Adjusting to Normality
by Dippindotss
Summary: It's been exactly one year since Olympus triumphed for the second time over the Titans. Percy, Annabeth, and Nico all attend a boarding school together, but even with friends, adjusting isn't easy. There is percabeth and a large cast of OCs.
1. Normality

I don't own Percy Jackson and The Olympians.

Note: This is a revised version of the first story I published on this site, in 2010. I am posting it again now in anticipation of a sequel I am excited about writing.

Percy's vision gradually shifted from darkness to a smudgy blurry fresco of his bedroom. He lay there a while thinking about nothing. He could hear faint snoring coming from his roommate, Nico, and the drone of city life in the streets below. There was a pattering at the window and the faint rushing noise of water colliding. It was rain again.

Percy's mind drifted into a kind of limbo, he could think of nothing but trying to fall asleep, all the while knowing that he would not be able to sleep again until that night.

…Tonight….

What was tonight?

Or more importantly, what was today? He snapped into awareness at once. He was laying on top of his text books. The text books he should have been studying. The text books that were now covered in drool and Gods knew what else.

He threw a quick glance at his alarm clock, which had failed once again to wake him, and his situation grew worse. Statistics would start in a matter of minutes. He had no time to study.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," he muttered frantically under his breath. He grabbed his uniform and flung it on, knowing he would get reprimanded for his shirt being unbuttoned, his tie being undone, but he couldn't stop to fix it now. He yanked his books into a haphazard stack, and kicked Nico's bed as hard as he could.

Now, Nico was quite a bit younger than he and Annabeth, but he had turned out to be something of a genius. He had most of the same classes as Percy, but had a few super advanced ones with Annabeth.

"Wuzzawann…?" murmured Nico through a layer of satin bed sheets.

"Statistics! Test! Now!"

"Ohhhh, yeah. Be right there…."

His head dropped onto his bed.

Not bothering to try again Percy sprinted out the dorm, pulling his always present map out of his pocket as he did so, and leaving the door swinging. He quickly scanned the map. His dyslexia prevented him from making any sense of it, but he could usually recognize the right mismatched pile of letters as his statistics classroom.

No such luck today.

"FUCK!" Percy shouted a little too loudly, and he was off again.

He went down the stairs, up them again, down again, through the schools main courtyard, into the academics building, into the girls bathroom, out of the girls bathroom, and finally into the Statistics classroom.

"Mr. Jackson, I'm glad you decided the test was worth your time after all."

Professor Johansson had been all jolly and chocolate eating when they had met at orientation. Percy had thought then that with a lazy teacher like him he might actually pass. However, Professor Johansson had turned out to be something of a hard-ass.

"Here's your test Jackson, I had this one printed in extra big letters just for you."

Percy flushed. It wasn't his fault he had dyslexia, and that jackass of a professor knew it. He never gave Annabeth or Nico any shit about being dyslexic. But that was probably cause they actually made good grades. A few kids snickered. Annabeth glanced up and rolled her eyes before returning to her paper. Nico had somehow made it to the room before Percy, and as Percy watched he flipped over the first page and began working on the back. Fucking shadow travel.

Percy picked up a test from the professors desk and walked, his wet shoes squeaking all the way, to his desk where he flopped down and took out a pen. Before he uncapped it, he checked to make sure it wasn't Riptide, his magical sword that took the form of an ordinary pen when he wasn't using it.

The last time he had uncapped Riptide in class had not been pretty. Controlling the mist was probably one of the only useful skills he had left from his camp days. Sure the camp was still there, but there was no need for it now.

With Kronos unlikely to ever again regain consciousness, the Titans powerless, and the monsters weakened, there wasn't a whole lot for a half-blood to do. Percy sighed. Sure, the old days had been dangerous, but at least they weren't so damn boring.

There was a rustling as Annabeth and a few other students rose to turn in their papers. Nico scribbled something on the backside of his test and handed his in too.

He sighed again. 'What am I going to do now?' he pondered.

Of course, if he wanted too he could just chill out underwater in Poseidon's palace for the rest of eternity. Maybe Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, and some others could even stay there with him. He tried to imagine it, non stop drinking, partying, swimming, all the television and video games he could ever want… It seemed perfect when Poseidon offered, and he knew the invite still stood.

…But…

That was the easy way out. How could he show his face to his friends when he had ducked out of real responsibility and real life? But it was so much harder for him than anyone else. Many of the campers were talented and had something they could fall back on, once being a hero became redundant. Not Percy. How far could swordplay take him in the real word, in New York?

Not very far.

…The rain splashed against the window…

Percy grinned. So did the stickman that had formed from raindrops on the window. The stickman pulled out a sword and began to duck and weave and jab at an invisible foe.

Annabeth kicked him, hard. Percy's concentration shattered and the stickman slid down the wall, as if being dragged away by some malevolent force. Percy turned to glare at Annabeth, but before he could, she shot him a sharp look and motioned towards his test.

He hadn't even written his name. Just then the bell rang loudly and clearly, making them both jump.

"Oh, screw it.."

Percy stood up and walked to the front of the room. He dropped the blank test down on the pile of papers on the teaching podium and left the room. As he squeaked away from the classroom he remembered why he had been thinking about tonight. With an earsplitting squeak of wet sneakers, he turned around and waited by the door. He didn't have to wait long. In a few seconds Annabeth rounded the door, as perfect as ever, and Percy took her hand and pulled her into a kiss, which she happily returned.


	2. The Movies

I don't own Percy Jackson and The Olympians.

After a few seconds their lips parted with an audible pop, like when a rubber band snaps, only a lot more wet. Students passing in the halls made gagging faces or looked away as they passed them by. Percy winked at her and she grinned in return. They joined the mom of students rushing out of the cramped hallways into the school's courtyard. That had been their final mid-term, and they were now on break for the next four days.

"How'd you do on the test" Percy asked casually, as they strolled through the halls.

"Oh, I think I did well, but did you get the last bonus question…?"

Percy was staring at her as if she were missing a point.

"Oh, Right. Why am I even asking you?" Annabeth rolled her clear gray eyes. They reflected the gray, stormy sky and shined like polished silver. Sometimes Percy simply stared at her, and remembered how lucky he was to have her. However when she caught his stare she would often start making creeper jokes. She was his best friend, first kiss, first girlfriend; and he had never cared for anyone more than her in his life. Not even the feelings he once felt for Calypso could hold a match to this.

"Excited about our double date with Nico tonight" she asked, trying to start up conversation again.

"Um.. Not really. He always picks the freakiest people to go out with. Have you met this one yet?"

"No, but he seems to really like her."

"He _seems_ to like all of them."

Nico, being a little short and baby cheeked, was instantly declared the "little cutie" of his grade and he seemed that every girl in his grade was willing to go out with him. Usually these feelings left them after the first date. Nico was not the most sociable person, and this rubbed pretty much every girl he asked out the wrong way. You couldn't really blame them, all he did was mumble a few things, and stare at his plate darkly. Sadly, Nico would tell them the date went well, and then be shocked into depression when the girl called the relationship off. Percy stopped feeling sorry for him after number four. Anyways, Annabeth and Percy were to meet lucky number seven tonight. They cared for Nico, but his love life had become something of a joke between them. As they walked into the schools courtyard, Percy willed the water droplets to miss them, somehow. A few people stared, but then just shook their heads, like they'd been hallucinating. Together they stole towards their favorite coffee house, where they both ordered cinnamon rolls.

"So you failed yet another test eh?" Annabeth grinned at him.

"Actually I think I did very good on this one." He replied with a little too much enthusiasm in his voice.

"I saw your paper. Did you fall asleep again while you were studying? Did you try those concentration techniques I looked up for you?"

"Yeah…they didn't work too well. "

Annabeth sighed. Percy was always screwing up like this. Neither of them had any idea how he was still in the school, but they both had an idea that some divine benefactor was behind it.

"Well," Annabeth said, getting up from her seat and brushing off her hands into Percy's lap, "what should we do until its time for the date?"

"Whatever you want. I don't have anything planned for today."

They eventually decided to catch a movie. As they neared the cinema they heard the sounds of scuffling coming from its alley. Percy looked at Annabeth. She nodded.

"Is anyone there?" Percy called into the shadowy alley.

No answer came.

"Hello?" Annabeth took a step forward.

There was a shuffling noise, and a boy in dirty rags with bloodshot eyes came into view. He glared at the two demigods and returned to the shadows. They realized he had been sleeping. A little shaken, they agreed to cancel the movie.

"We should call someone," Annabeth insisted, "he's obviously homeless and starving."

"There's something off about him though. I can't place it…" Percy murmured under his breath. The rain was still pouring. The boy was probably freezing.

"Okay, let's go get him." Percy said, and together they entered the alley.

As they stepped into the alley the air chilled. Something was wrong. Riptide grew heavy in Percy's pocket. He pulled it out but didn't uncap it. Not yet.

There was a sniffling sound, and the sharp ring of a blade being drawn. There was a bright flash, and suddenly two burning orbs were hovering in the darkness. They started moving towards them, slowly at first, than faster.

Percy uncapped Riptide. Annabeth pulled out the knife Luke gave her from its hiding spot on her ankle. There was another flash, and suddenly a long thin sword of celestial bronze was pushing against Riptide. Percy beheld the boys snarling face. His eyes were like fireballs. Just like….Hyperion. Suddenly the boy disentangled their blades with a masterful stroke, and in the same motion, brought it down again. A golden wave of fire followed in the swords wake.

_Is it possible?_ Percy thought.

Annabeth sprinted forward, jumped, and kicked the boy in the chin, following up with a quick jab that cut his arm. The boy's eyes were extinguished and his real eyes came into view. They were bright gold.

There was another bright flash. The boy was gone, leaving nothing but large scorch marks on the wall and a smoking ring where he had been standing.


End file.
